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Google backers find new bet
Doerr and Shriram put $16M in venture capital in Zazzle, a company that customizes T-shirts, stamps.
July 18, 2005: 12:06 PM EDT
Venture capitalists bet that a desire for customized stamps and apparel will set dotcom startup Zazzle on fire.
Venture capitalists bet that a desire for customized stamps and apparel will set dotcom startup Zazzle on fire.

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The venture capitalists who took a bet on Google are throwing cash at another wacky dot.com idea.

Zazzle, which makes customized apparel, posters, cards and postage stamps, said Monday it has secured $16 million in funding from John Doerr and Ram Shriram, backed by their respective venture capital firms Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Sherpalo Ventures.

Just as they served on the Google (down $0.04 to $301.15, Research) board of directors after funding the search company start up, the men will serve on Zazzle's board.

"Their support will help us to expand our marketplace, as we drive to provide all individuals with an outlet where they can create and share products limited only by their imagination," Robert Beaver, chief executive at Zazzle, said in a statement.

Zazzle also said it has forged content partnerships with the Walt Disney Company and the Library of congress, as well as artists worldwide.

Users can use the company's large collection of digital images to create customized products for themselves, to make gifts and to sell through the Zazzle's online user-created marketplace.

"Zazzle is a unique community and marketplace for self expression that combines user driven content and branded partner content to give anyone the power to make on-demand products" said John Doerr of KPCB.

Why do investors think Google is the search engine to watch? Click here to find out.

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